


post tenebras lux

by Aetherdrive



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, astronomer au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 23:39:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5352704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aetherdrive/pseuds/Aetherdrive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As soon as he stuttered out a greeting and introduction, Abe wondered if he’d really be able to get along with his new research partner. For a moment, Mihashi couldn’t even meet his eyes; but then, the other man took a deep breath, met his gaze, and smiled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	post tenebras lux

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ficteer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficteer/gifts).



> a commission for my fantastic qp [ficteer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ficteer) ♥

Abe thought soulmates were total bullshit.  
  
He had a million reasons that he could list off on a moment’s notice; too complicated, too much potential drama, too distracting. If he said them enough, he wondered if it would sound more like something he actually believed, instead of excuses offered up as a shield against his loneliness.  
  
For his entire life, the intricate design of his mark sat heavy on the inside of his wrist -- a weight he couldn’t escape, a promise of something to hope for, and a fear that maybe it had already passed him by without him even knowing. Dark gold and shining yellow twined into an intricate sun against his skin, swirling light like stained glass against his veins.  
  
It was beautiful, but it only made his heart ache.  
  
He tried to put it to the back of his mind and focus on other things, and for the most part, it worked. His razor-sharp focus and dedication earned him high marks in his courses, all the way through university -- and at 23 years old, he had already landed the job of his dreams.  
  
Being an astronomer at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan was a high honor at any age. Maybe it wasn’t exactly what he’d envisioned as a little boy; while he got to look through incredibly powerful telescopes, there was a lot of math and paperwork that he hadn’t really accounted for until he’d become a teenager. But he knew, without a doubt, that there was almost nothing else in life that could fulfill him the way his job did, and he knew that he wasn’t wrong to have pride in himself.  
  
But it never erased his loneliness.  
  
He was ornery and closed off, and he knew it was his fault that he didn’t really have any friends or romantic partners, soulmate or not. And yet, despite that knowledge holding him down like an anchor, he couldn’t seem to bring himself to do much of anything about it.  
  
And then, one day, his life was turned completely upside down.  
  
An entire team of researchers had been transferred over from one of the NAOJ bases in Hawaii, which, while unusual, wasn’t anything that would normally disrupt his day. But these people were different than anyone else he’d worked with so far -- they were persistent about including him in everything they did, whether he wanted them to or not.  
  
Izumi slapped his back with a smile after their first night out drinking together. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? When’s the last time you had a drink with some friends?”  
  
“Doesn’t matter,” Abe answered reflexively. The truth of _never_ hung heavy on his shoulders, and Izumi gave him a knowing look.  
  
“Well, get used to it,” he smiled. “Oh. When our other team member gets here tomorrow? Try not to scare him. He’s, uh...”  
  
“Wound tight as hell and super jumpy!” a slightly buzzed Tajima laughed. “But he’s great! Be nice,” he insisted. “You can do nice, right, Abe-kun?”  
  
“Yeah,” Abe answered with a hint of indignation. “I’m not that much of an asshole, come on.”  
  
It would be easy, he told himself. He’d say hello to this last guy in the morning, and go along with the rest of the group that had taken such a shine to him for some reason, and go about his daily life. For the most part, nothing would change at all.

* * *

As soon as he stuttered out a greeting and introduction, Abe wondered if he’d really be able to get along with his new research partner. For a moment, Mihashi couldn’t even meet his eyes; but then, the other man took a deep breath, met his gaze, and smiled.  
  
And in that singular moment, Abe _knew_.  
  
There was no shadow of doubt in his mind -- the truth was all there, in the blinding light of brilliant golden eyes, in the warmth of a wide, enthusiastic smile that set his heart racing. Mihashi was the sun.  
  
 _His_ sun.  
  
He didn’t need to see the mark on his wrist to know it had to match. For all his practicality and no-nonsense attitude, Abe had never been so sure of anything in his entire life, and he felt a sudden impulse to grab Mihashi’s wrist, pull up the sleeve of his coat, and just _look_. Luckily for him, he retained enough of his rational nature to know it would not only be inappropriate, but probably startle the shy researcher half to death.  
  
“L-let’s work hard together!” Mihashi smiled.  
  
Too thunderstruck to find his voice, Abe just nodded, and tried to swallow the rising anticipation in his throat.

* * *

“I-is something wrong?” Mihashi asked quietly.  
  
Abe’s head snapped up, and he met Mihashi’s eyes with surprise; he’d been caught staring, not at anything inappropriate, but at the other man’s wrist. He cursed the weather; Mihashi had worn nothing but long sleeves since his arrival two weeks ago, the secret of his mark hidden from Abe’s almost desperate need to know.  
  
“No,” he answered immediately, the lie coming almost reflexively. Mihashi didn’t seem pacified by it, though; those warm eyes were shadowed with a hint of fear, his fingers rocked with faint tremors as he wrung his hands together. “Really,” he insisted, a bit of irritation leaking into his voice, “it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”  
  
“If Abe-kun says so...” he mumbled. His gaze fell to the floor, but then he shook his head and met Abe’s eyes once more. “If... if we ever... I mean, if something ever bothers you, please let me know! And... we can t-talk about it!”  
  
Abe blinked, stunned into momentary silence. _Skittish, but strong. Wonder if the rest of the team has anything to do with that... He’s spent a lot of time with them, right?_   “Yeah, okay,” he finally managed. “But I meant it. I’m fine.”  
  
Mihashi cocked his head to the side, and Abe got the feeling the other astronomer didn’t entirely believe him. But with a nod of his head and a quick, tiny smile, he accepted the words and turned away to go back to his own research.  
  
Abe tried to swallow the lump in his throat and focus on his research paper, but that smile, those _eyes_ , took all his focus and drove him far beyond distraction.

* * *

Abe was tired.  
  
He’d been in the office for a little over twelve hours, cramming last-minute for a presentation at a university in two days, and seeing Tajima run back in to grab his forgotten coat only fueled his annoyance.  
  
 _Don’t talk to me, please do not talk to me_ , he prayed internally. Luck, however, was not on his side; Tajima skipped over to his desk with a bright smile that didn’t fade at all, even once he saw the surly expression on the other man’s face.  
  
“Hey! Learn how to smile more! Your face is so scary,” he laughed. “Spend more time around Mihashi. You look so much happier when he’s with you.” At Abe’s startled look, he practically crowed with glee. “Oh man, did you think we didn’t notice? Because we did. Are you gonna ask him on a date at some point?”  
  
Abe’s cheeks went absolutely crimson. “ _Excuse me_?”  
  
Tajima rolled his eyes. “Seriously, if you stared at him any harder, you’d probably open a rift in space. Are you soulmates? ‘Cause from where I’m standing, it sure looks like it.”  
  
“First of all, it’s none of your business. And anyway, I... I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I haven’t seen his mark. And I don’t think he’s seen mine, or he would’ve reacted. I would’ve noticed.”  
  
Tajima’s eyes glittered with mischief. “Hmm, I bet I can come up with an idea...” He tapped at his chin thoughtfully, seemingly ignorant of the irritation boiling over in Abe’s expression. “Hey, I know! I’ll tell him to roll up his sleeves tomorrow, or... something.”  
  
Abe didn’t look impressed. “Why would he do that? It’s the middle of winter. It’s freezing, in case you hadn’t noticed.”  
  
“Hey, do you want me to help you or not?” Tajima asked. “I’ll come up with something, all right? Don’t worry about it!”  
  
As he bounded away, Abe’s anger faded, smothered by the heavy weight of hope and anticipation in his heart.

* * *

“Oops!”  
  
Abe paused at his desk, his notes spread out in front of him. From the next room over, he could hear Tajima laughing and apologizing at the same time. “Sorry, Mihashi! Damn, it’s all over your lab coat. Hey, you could ask Abe for a spare!”  
  
“O-okay! Don’t worry about it, i-it was just an accident... um, you don’t think he’ll mind, do you?” His voice dropped lower, and Abe strained to hear what he was saying. “H-he’s seemed... a little angry recently...”  
  
“Don’t worry about it!” Tajima answered. “He’s just had something on his mind. Here, take that off or you’re gonna catch a cold! Go ask him for another one, I’m sure I saw a spare at his desk yesterday!”  
  
Abe felt his heartbeat spike dramatically at Mihashi’s quiet agreement, and tried to will away the faint heat already spreading across his face. Behind him, he heard the door open, followed by Mihashi’s quiet footsteps as he crossed the room.  
  
“U-um, Abe-kun? Tajima spilled his melon soda on my lab coat, but he said you... might have spares?”  
  
Abe took a deep breath as he put his pencil down and stood up. “Yeah.” He reached for the extra he always kept hanging on the wall beside his desk, gathered his courage, and finally turned to face his partner.  
  
Mihashi’s smile was only a little nervous as he held his stained coat in his hands. Abe’s eyes immediately fell to his wrist, that sliver of skin that had been hidden by a single layer of fabric for weeks on end --   
  
And he felt every ounce of air leave his lungs.  
  
Swirls of black mixed with silver, a bright crescent moon with the faintest hint of blue in stark contrast against the pale skin of his inner wrist. Without thinking, without speaking, he reached forward, and then stopped to look up; Mihashi was watching him, eyes wide and full of hope.  
  
“A...Abe-kun? Is... is my mark... interesting?” He wasn’t discreet at all as he tried to peer at Abe’s wrist in turn. “What is it...?”  
  
For a moment, Abe struggled to find his voice; he reached out to grab Mihashi’s wrist, turned it over next to his so their marks were side by side. The silence was heavy, electric with tension and understanding. “We match,” he explained quietly.  
  
“Y...You’re... you’re my...?!” He reached forward to touch Abe’s mark, his fingertips slightly cool against the taller man’s skin. “I... I hoped, b-but I wasn’t... sure...”  
  
“I knew it,” Abe whispered, his voice raw with feeling, “I knew it the moment I saw you.” He cupped Mihashi’s hands inside of his, and met his beautiful eyes with a courage that wasn’t entirely genuine. “Mihashi. I’m... not easy to get along with, I won’t lie. But do you want to try... being... with me?”  
  
Mihashi nodded so hard that Abe feared he might hurt himself. “Y-yes! Please! I... I want to!” The tips of his ears were as red as his face, and Abe found it strangely charming. “Let’s... let’s date!”

* * *

That night, Abe decided to tag along with the rest of his research group when they headed to the bar for a change. But on the way out of the office, Tajima cornered him, an unusually serious expression on his face.  
  
“Hey. Congrats. But listen -- I know you’ve got a weird temper. And Mihashi’s not as fragile as he used to be, but that took a lot of work and encouragement. We all care about him. So don’t hurt him, all right?”  
  
Abe nodded. “I know, okay? I know I’ve got a good thing going.” He looked away, clearly a little ashamed of himself. “I’ve... been working at my own stuff, too. I can’t promise I’ll be perfect, but I can promise I’ll do my best.”  
  
A smile broke over Tajima’s face, all seriousness gone. “That’s the spirit! Come on, we don’t wanna keep everybody waiting!”  
  
“Yeah, yeah.” He followed along, unsure of how the night would turn out -- but when he saw Mihashi outside, bundled up in a large winter coat with a bright smile, all of his trepidation vanished in a tidal wave of fondness.

* * *

“I don’t really know what a good date would be like,” Abe mumbled.  
  
Mihashi didn’t seem deterred by the admission. “What about... looking at the stars?” he suggested. “That’s why we became astronomers, right? Because... because we love space... but we’ve been doing s-so much paperwork recently, we haven’t really gotten a chance to look lately.” He took a deep breath, then reached out to hold Abe’s hands in his own. “I... I’d love to watch the stars with you, T... Takaya!”  
  
Abe felt like the world around them could burn away in a whirlwind of fire and he wouldn’t notice, too consumed by the sound of his name on Mihashi’s lips. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s good. Let’s... let’s go, Ren.”  
  
Mihashi’s smile was as bright as the sun on Abe’s wrist, and they left the office side by side, their hands twined together as naturally as they breathed.

* * *

The sky was like a canvas.  
  
Stars were splashed against the black night like paint, and Abe simultaneously felt so, so small and incredibly inspired. He scooted closer to Mihashi, and the thermal blanket they’d wrapped themselves up in crinkled a little with his movement, the stone of the Observatory's roof cold beneath their backs.  
  
“Any time people have asked me about soul mates,” he started hesitantly, “I’ve told them I don’t believe in it. That destiny’s not something already written, but something we can control ourselves.” He could feel Mihashi’s breath against his cheek, warm and soft as the other scientist watched him. “But I think I was just... using those words as armor. Because I was lonely. Because I’m hard to deal with.”  
  
He looked over, and there was something sad, something cold in those golden eyes. “I... I understand,” Mihashi answered quietly. “I understand.” The smaller man looked back at the sky with a smile, and squeezed Abe’s hand reassuringly. “B-but... looking at the stars... it’s hard not to believe in it at least a little, right?”  
  
“You’re brighter than all of those stars combined,” Abe blurted. He felt himself turn red at the words, but barrelled on, because Mihashi had to _know_ , he needed to understand how much he’d affected Abe just by _existing_. “You’re... you’re literally my sun,” he mumbled. “Look, like I said, I’m not the nicest person around. I’ve got a lot to learn as far as other people go,” he admitted. “But... for you, I want to try. I want to make you happy, Ren.”  
  
Mihashi’s smile was warm and blinding, even in the winter night. “We can both try!” he chirped. “We can learn... together, Takaya.”  
  
Abe was caught off guard by the enthusiastic words, but that was soon forgotten as Mihashi leaned in to give him a soft, gentle kiss. His heart sang with love and hope, and he felt just a little more of his surly armor melt in the face of Mihashi’s warmth.   
  
“Yeah,” he answered breathlessly. “Let’s learn... together.”

* * *

 

 

[ad astra per aspera]

 


End file.
